US EditionNetanyahu Condemns Soldier Who Smashed Jesus Statue in Lebanon
The military said the image was authentic and opened a probe after more than 5 million views on X.
- The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Monday that an image shared Sunday by Palestinian activist Younes Tirawi showing a soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in the southern Lebanese village of Debel is authentic.
- This incident occurred in the Christian village of Debel within the Bint Jbeil district amid a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, after Israel reported killing 150 Hezbollah operatives in the region.
- Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the act as "shameful and disgraceful," while U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee demanded "swift, severe, & public consequences" and the military vowed to "restore the statue to its place."
- Local priest Fadi Falfel described the act as a "desecration of our holy symbols," fueling criticism that Israel discriminates against Christians, echoing tensions from last month when police blocked clergy from a Palm Sunday service at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- Amid the broader conflict, nearly 2,300 people have been killed and over 1 million displaced in Lebanon, with observers arguing that religious site incidents undermine Israel's stated justification of "defending Judeo-Christian values" in the Middle East.
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190 Articles
Holy Land Catholic leaders condemn Israeli soldier’s desecration of crucifix in Lebanon
(OSV News) — Catholic leaders in the Holy Land expressed their “unreserved condemnation” after a picture of an Israeli soldier striking the head of a statue of Jesus in Debel, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, went viral on social media. In a statement signed by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, issued April 20, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land expressed its “profound indignation and unreserved condemnation of the des…
An Israeli soldier was photographed trying to damage a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. If it is claimed online that it is a war crime, neither Lebanon nor Israel have ratified the text that provides for it. - VERIF' - Statue of Jesus vandalized by an Israeli soldier in Lebanon: is it a war crime? (International).
In Lebanon, where a ceasefire is in place between Israel and the Shiite movement Hezbollah, a photo showing an Israeli soldier hitting a statue of Jesus with a hammer has caused widespread outrage. The Israeli military confirmed the incident and announced measures against those involved in the incident, which was strongly condemned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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